Telkom Sneaky Tactics, part ii

D

Debbie

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The following is something I wrote for the antitrust.co.za website. Just thought I'd post it here, so all can be aware. I have asked a particular newspaper to look into this.


Rumour has it that Telkom is going to start activating their voicemail
answering service on customer's telehones WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT. While
this will not cost the customer anything, it will cost people calling
the person. Telkom's answering service picks up after only 7
rings...and thus it costs the caller an initial 56c when the machine
picks up, and a further 86c if the person leaves a message.

Telkom has previously told shareholders that this practice is used to
increase the number of minutes spent on local and national calls. Now
Telkom plans to simply go ahead and activate this service on people's
lines without even telling them or giving them the opportunity to say
they don't want the service.

A little birdie in Telkom told me that the next wave of activations
will take place in August. So watch out! If Telkom does this to you,
and it is an unwanted service, then call them and tell them to remove
it. (I'm sure you don't want your friends' and family's phone bills to
be even higher than they already are!)

Tell all you know to watch out for this sneaky Telkom tactic.
Click to expand...
 
Telkom phoned me about a year ago and offered me the service. When I heard it was free I said yes. Afterall, you don't usually get anything free from Telkom. So I should have known there would be a catch. Sneaky devils.

LoneGunman, it shows up under the "Rental" section of your bill. It will say "Basic VoiceMail" and will show a zero rand value.
 
They did i with our telephone line as well as a friend's line. Both in Cpt. Although it is not entirely unwanted, I'm gonna call telkom and demand they cancel it.
 
If the number of rings is not configureable, it is definitely not wanted by my household. We take forever to answer the teklom phone, those that know us know this and hang on. This tactic helps to cut down on the number of marketing calls that you have to deal with.
 
I also know people in Cape Town that had this service activated after they were phoned by Telkom with this offer which they refused. They have been trying for 2 months to get it removed. They don't even ever listen to their messages as they are not interested in the service.

It is a money making scheme :mad: Unfortunately it is at no cost to the user whose phone is voicemail enabled. Otherwise you could possible take some legal action for cost that you did not agree to. :mad:
 
random people in this thread said:
...cape town...
Click to expand...

Right, let me tell you something from a cape tonian. Most of those people who had their service activated even after they refused PROBABLY agreed to the bastard over the phone on something.

I had this telemarketer called me the other day (I'm proudly in JHB now, so I know) trying to get me to renew something I don't want anymore. After each and every "no i dont have the money" (blatant lie) I got a, "okay sir *pause* so you don't want the renewal for two years, only one?"

That last bit usually go over any cape tonian's head and they say "yes" because they :

a) Listen half arsed (because it's telemarketers)
b) Already said no and THINKS (or assumes) the person understood
c) Think the telemarketer is their friend and won't "do something like that to me"

Inform the people other than "it will automatically be switched on"

Then again, Telkom violates the rights of humans (apparently) and they could care less that the service is activated or not, because doesn't matter what happens, you can't take them to court or probably tell them "where is the evidence I agreed"


I'm bored and Cape town people are stupid
 
We can expect with this scheme that Telkom will fight till the bitter end before they remove the 59c minimum charge for each call.
 
These days when the tele-marketers call I hand the phone to the baby who cheerfully babbles away until they hang up. The kid loves it. Telkom must love it too.
 
bwana v.3 said:
These days when the tele-marketers call I hand the phone to the baby who cheerfully babbles away until they hang up. The kid loves it. Telkom must love it too.
Click to expand...

Someone said in another thread you tell them you got something on the stove that you must quickly tend you and ask them to hold on. Then you go and watch tv. :D
 
ajax said:
Someone said in another thread you tell them you got something on the stove that you must quickly tend you and ask them to hold on. Then you go and watch tv. :D
Click to expand...

I prefer to handle them with their own tactics: say, "please hold", put the phone next to your PC speakers, and play 'Rammstein' or something. :)
 
ajax said:
Someone said in another thread you tell them you got something on the stove that you must quickly tend you and ask them to hold on. Then you go and watch tv. :D
Click to expand...


thats Brill!!... i wonder how long they would hold on for? how greedy their supervisors are... and how well they are 'taught'...

will try and see if i ever get 1 of those calls...

/buddha touches wood :D

-buddha
 
antitrust shirts

them are some cool antitrust shirts, does hellkom have the templates for it on his site? :p
 
mufasa said:
them are some cool antitrust shirts, does hellkom have the templates for it on his site? :p
Click to expand...

This is off the topic, but anyway...

Hellkom has templates if you want to make your own t-shirt. If you want an Antitrust shirt send an email to [email protected] :D
 
Cofused

When Telkom implements a Call Answering Service, do the people that have it know how to access it if someone leaves a message or even know they have a message in the first place?
I have left countless messages on these answering services for people, but have yet been called back, mainly because the person had no idea that they had an answering service or even how to access it in the first place.

How would you access this Answering Service? Anyone know?
How are they then informed that a message even exists on the line?
Does the phone make an odd sound or a voice recording tell you how to access a voice mail box perhaps?

This service and the similar service that is on some phone networks when the number dialled is engaged falls within the same league of big question marks. :confused:
 
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